Child-reported vegetable neophobia is associated with risk avoidance for distaste in children aged 4-15 years

Anouk E M Hendriks-Hartensveld; Chantal Nederkoorn; Anouk J P van den Brand; Remco C Havermans

doi:10.1016/j.appet.2023.106993

Child-reported vegetable neophobia is associated with risk avoidance for distaste in children aged 4-15 years

Appetite. 2023 Oct 1:189:106993. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2023.106993. Epub 2023 Aug 12.

Authors

Anouk E M Hendriks-Hartensveld¹, Chantal Nederkoorn², Anouk J P van den Brand², Remco C Havermans³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Clinical Psychological Science, Faculty of Psychology & Neuroscience, Maastricht University, the Netherlands; Laboratory of Behavioural Gastronomy, Centre for Healthy Eating and Food Innovation, Maastricht University Campus Venlo, the Netherlands. Electronic address: anouk.hendriks@maastrichtuniversity.nl.
² Department of Clinical Psychological Science, Faculty of Psychology & Neuroscience, Maastricht University, the Netherlands.
³ Laboratory of Behavioural Gastronomy, Centre for Healthy Eating and Food Innovation, Maastricht University Campus Venlo, the Netherlands; Chair Youth, Food, and Health, Maastricht University Campus Venlo, the Netherlands.

PMID: 37573971
DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2023.106993

Abstract

Children who are food neophobic and/or picky eaters often refuse intake of especially fruits and vegetables, thereby narrowing their dietary variety and impairing the quality of their food intake. In this preregistered study, we investigated whether picky eating and food neophobia are related to bitter taste sensitivity (PROP taster status) and risk avoidance for distaste. A total of 367 children (201 girls; M age = 8.7 years, range: 4-15 years) participated in the study. They completed the vegetable neophobia subscale of the fruit and vegetable neophobia instrument (FVNI). A caregiver completed the child food rejection scale (CFRS), a parent-report measure of food neophobia and picky eating. Children's bitter taste sensitivity was measured with a PROP (6-n-propylthiouracil) taste strip, and the children completed a modified Children's Gambling Task (Candy Gambling Game) to measure risk avoidance for distaste. In this task, children could select cards from a risky deck (chance of winning two tasty cherry-flavoured jelly beans, but also the risk of getting a distasteful soap-flavoured jelly bean) or a safe deck (chance of winning one tasty jelly bean or no jelly bean). The results show that picky eating and food neophobia (either parent- or self-reported) are not related to PROP taster status. However, children who self-reported higher levels of vegetable neophobia showed less risky choice behaviour in the Candy Gambling Game, although this relationship was not found with parent-reported food neophobia. We conclude that risk avoidance for distaste, but not taste function, is associated with children's self-reported food rejection tendencies. To broaden the food repertoire of children high in food neophobia, it might be useful to reduce the perceived risk of distaste, when introducing a novel food or meal.

Keywords: Bitter taste sensitivity; Children; Food neophobia; Food risk-taking; Picky eating; Risk avoidance for distaste.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Diet
Dysgeusia
Female
Food Preferences*
Humans
Taste
Taste Perception
Vegetables*